Opposition Socialist Party leader Dr. Fred M’membe has charged that corruption levels under the New Dawn Government will surpass the ones witnessed during the reign of the Patriotic Front (PF).
Dr. M’membe said there is corruption in the UPND led government which they opposed before forming government.
Dr. M’membe has since challenged the current government to explain why it single-sourced Maurice Jangulo’s Alpha Commodities to supply 37,000 tonnes of fertilizers at $1,407 per tonne while the general market price is $1,000 per tonne.
He alleged that in the Alpha Commodities deal there was theft of an additional $15.059 million from the Zambian people in the form of super-profits.
“The Socialist Party leader said the UPND government must explain why Jangulo was allowed to control, direct, manipulate and falsify a fertiliser audit under its supervision and control. When they were in opposition, the UPND talked about corruption, yet there is still corruption in their government. And at the rate we are going, they will dwarf the PF corruption at the end of their term of office,” Dr. M’membe said.
“We yet again challenge the current government to explain why it single-sourced Maurice Jangulo’s Alpha Commodities to supply 37,000 tonnes of fertilizers at $1,407 per tonne while the general market price is $1,000 per tonne – stealing an additional $15.059 million from the Zambian people in super-profits,” he alleged.
“Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ) was given to supply 13,000 tonnes of fertilisers at $1,000 per tonne. On top of this Jangulo had no stocks of fertilizers and started going around trying to source the commodity from his competitors whom he had discredited in an audit he had initiated and influenced,” Dr. M’membe said.
Dr. M’membe said the Alpha Commodities fertiliser deal is pure corruption that the government and the state agencies like Anti Corruption Commissioner (ACC) , Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC ) and the police – under its control have failed to deal with.
“We challenge this government to explain why Jangulo was allowed to control, direct, manipulate and falsify a fertiliser audit under its supervision and control. This is pure corruption that this government and the state agencies – ACC, DEC and the police – under its control have failed to deal with. Why? Our simple and only explanation is that Jangulo is too close to the key leaders of this government to be touched. He is their partner – he works and eats with them. There is a need to approach the fight against corruption with seriousness that it deserves,” he said.
Dr. M’membe said the system that the UPND regime has embarked on is inherently corrupt.
“In their so-called fight against corruption, they are tempering with individuals but the system that the UPND is using is not different from the one used by the PF! Corruption is going to deepen. In terms of Institutions, what have they changed? Whatever they are doing is still under the neo liberal economic policies that were pursued by the previous regime. The system that they have embarked on is inherently corrupt,” he concluded.
DO WE HAVE TO LISTEN TO THIS CHAPS NONSENSE EVERY DAY ?
Spot on Dr Mmembe let’s now see how our new ACC boss will respond to this
Respond to what?
Angoni @@ 2
Spot on to you. It’s because the ACC Boss is a corrupt person and spineless. We campaigned to have clean leadership, but we are doing the same things that we condemned while in opposition. Alpha Commodities Fertiliser Deal is nothing but stinking corruption. If we in UPND don’t criticise when corruption is happening, then we are basically encouraging this government to do dirty deals. It surprises me that guys who turn up every day at Lusakatimes cannot agree with you. Then again we know these chaps or old men are frustrated flip-flops
He says corruption in UPND will surpass PF but he is happy to take on former PF top officals in his party…trust this man at your own peril.
I agree with Tikki,this guy needs to spare us from this nonsense…
He is clearly very desperate because he realises that Bally and UPND will rule Zambia for atleast 10 years….. he cant wait that long !!
But who created the PF monster mwebantu,it was him……
The issue he is referring to has already been dealt with because Bally spoke about it publicly in detail at his meeting with the heads of statutory bodies on Monday…..
This socialist puppet is nauseating , he makes a claim that corruption in UPND is more than in PF and then he only talks about one case involving Jangulo? Who makes such a conclusion on the basis of one data point ? This is what you get from obtaining Degrees from third class universities, nayo yo jobber usiku through correspondence!!!
Dr Mmembe please report this to ACC so that these praise singers understand that it’s just change of ruling party we are still in the same Mess as a country
Membe is very correct on this one. Something is fishy in this deal. In the spirit of empowering the citizenly, one company cannot be single sourced to supply fertilizer for the entire province!!!!!
Cde membe is nothing more than an false alarmist …………..
Ati corruption will surpass PF , yet………..
he only hangs on to this one case
I can assure you , the $1000 per tone he is talking about is not as clearcut as he makes it……….
Incase Cde membe goes not know, zambia is not a socialist country and the government has lobby groups and supporters who are also given contracts
Watching from the terraces! We spoke spoke about this but we were told to SHUT our mouths.
Those who have ears will hear and those who have eyes will see…
A wrong will never be a right no matter what you do or say, as the saying goes: Lets call a spade a spade… because one day I will find you feeding your child Custard using a spade.
look at who is talking. this man thinks other pipo dont think and he can easily mislead them with what he says. he fooled us with his newspaper but we eventually saw his motives. it was for his own business interests. i will never trust meembe with what he says. hes a lier. pf unmasked him clearly
8# Spaka
I am not sure the last you were in Zambia and if you follow the cost of agriculture inputs. My stepfather is in commercial farming in Chisamba / Lusaka, and I have a clear insight at the cost of fertilizer from the producer, middlemen/wholesaler, to the consumers…… The truth is Maurice Jangulo has corruptly hiked the price to benefit his pockets when we should be thinking about poor farmers. Jangulo knows GRZ will pay and HH is his close friend. Mmembe may be the last person to preach about corruption but he is addressing the truth about the fertilizer scandal…….. Please don’t question things just to get online ratings, if you really care about Zambia. Its end of July and UPND has not even procured fertilizer.
Mutafela Mulife
I’m not sure if you know that Russia and ukrain are major producers of fertiliser and fertiliser making ingredients inputs……..
The war has impacted the whole world , not only zambia.
On that jangulo tender , Maurice was a strong UPND supporter and was bound to get a contract………….
Membe is over playing the $1000 per tone alternative supply. It is not as clearcut as he puts it.
This is like the ZESCO poles saga where ZESCO procured poles and bypassed supposed local suppliers who cried foul but couldn’t supply …….
8# Spaka
Let’s say Jangulo helped to fund HH to get into the state house and he was handed the contract as a reward. That does not give him the power to screw up poor farmers to enrich himself. You are putting up a fight full of garbage exposing your ignorance…. Mmembe is not playing the $1000’s tune, he’s done his homework and he is 100% correct. Jangulo increased the fees as soon as he got the deal about 10 months ago before the war started between Russia / Ukraine. I know these 2 nations are major fertilizer suppliers.
Bo Mutafela Mulife @@ 12
SPAKA, SPAKA … has to be ignored as he is a sick person with a corrupt mind and he talking trash and nonsense. One can tell that he does not have much to do in life apart from being on Lusakatimes every hour of the day. Like yourself, I fully support HH. But we cannot put a blind eye to wrongdoing just because the people in power are those who come from our areas or speak our tribe. It amounts to being hypocrites
Ba Mmembe, wish your brother success noti evo, bitterness is not welcome.